2014hopeful

Can anyone help? I'm taking the reasoning test(s) on Saturday but am starting to panic a little. I'm applying as an international student and with no guidance counsellors/anyone with even a vague understanding of the US college system in the small area in which I live, I have been studying for the test alone.

1. Is it common for international applicants to be matching the flawless scores of US high school students? Or do the admissions team tend to tolerate lower scores?

2. I have read that colleges look more closely at the CR and Math sections than any other; is this true? In particular, for Ivies?

3. The main section I am worrying about is the CR section. All the extended vocabulary is so unusual I have been using the College Board practice test mainly as I assumed that these would be the most appropriate. Do the tests themselves tend to fare a little easier than the practices??... this seems to be the case more often than not over here so I suppose this is really just wishful thinking

Thanks all! x

sweet_cream2090

1. Not sure
2. Yes, most colleges do place more weight onto your CR and math scores.
3. This can go either way. You can end up doing great on the practice tests and then bad on the actual one. In general, though, the blue book tests are pretty similar--in difficulty level--to the real ones.
I suggest using two additional prep books in addition to the blue book.
-Barron's 2400
-Kaplan SAT Advanced (or something like that)
Both are amazing and i think, essential if you want to do good (as in 2000+)

IBscrewed91

yea, i did it all on my own, in 10 days flat.
2200.